League honors office holders

Fourteen Midland County women who have held or currently hold elected office are the latest recipients of the "Making Democracy Work" awards from the Midland Area League of Women Voters.

The League gave out the awards Tuesday night as part of an evening that celebrated the 90th anniversary of the founding of the National League of Women Voters in 1910. The Midland Area League was founded in 1969.

Midland League President Karen Sherwood presented this year's honors, while paying tribute to the more than 250 women who have been elected to office in Midland County since 1910. Their names were listed on the program, and many of the surviving officeholders were in attendance.

"When we began considering these women in our community who had actually allowed their names on the ballots and received enough votes to become the person who filled an elective office, we … had to go in many directions," Sherwood recalled. "We found women … who are active members of our local League … who have served the community non-stop for an entire career … who filled an office, left office, then returned to the office again … who served in townships, on school boards, the village council, city councils, county commissioners, judges and county officials.

"We couldn't give out some 250 awards, even though absolutely every woman listed on this program has gone the second mile to Make Democracy Work," Sherwood said.

Making Democracy Work awards were given to:

* Maxine Brink, Mills Township clerk

* Mary Currie, former Midland City Council representative

* Maureen Donker, mayor, City of Midland

* Leona Falkenstein, former Ingersoll Township official and Midland County commissioner

* Phyllis Ferris, Bullock Creek School Board member

* Ann Manary, Midland County clerk

* Rose Marie McQuaid, Midland County commissioner

* Donna Morris, former Probate judge

* Lee Rouse, Midland Public Schools Board president

* Nancy Skochdopole, former board member, Midland Public Schools

* Alice Sharron Such, former Edenville Township supervisor

* Carole Swinehart, former board member, Midland Public Schools

* Theresa Townley, former board member, Midland Public Schools

* Elizabeth Weaver, Michigan Supreme Court Justice

Weaver, the evening's guest speaker, challenged the audience to take a harder look at the qualities they should expect from the judges on the state's highest court.

"We want a Supreme Court justice to be the most professional, most fair, most orderly and most accountable," Weaver said. "But most of all, we want them to be independent."

When judges interpret the law, they are to a degree, creating it, Weaver said.

"So we need a judge who's restrained and self-disciplined. Also impartial, as well as appearing to be impartial. Some of our best decisions are made when everybody's mad at us."

Finally, she said, judges need to have common sense. "Judges have to follow the law, but make clarity when the legislature hasn't been clear."

For more coverage on Justice Weaver, watch for an upcoming article in the Daily News.